Track device for inclined ways.



No. 745,069. l PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. A. H. MQCLURE.. TRACK DEVICE FOB. INGLINED WAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1903.

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Nrrnn radins Patented November 24, 19043.

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TRACK DEVICE FOR lNCLINED "titir',K

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 745,069, dated November 24, 1903.

Application iiled June 4,1903. Serial No. 160,038. @lo model.)

To @ZZ whom it may con/cern.-

Beit known that I, ALBERT H. MCCLURE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Majestic, in the county of Las Animas and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved rfrack Device for Inclined Ways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to rail devices for inclined ways; and it consists, substantially, in the construction, organization, and combinations of parts hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Though applicable to analogous purposes in the arts, my improvements are intended more especially for use in connection with inclined ways such as are employed in mines and similar localities for the rapid transit of one or more loaded cars or vehicles from one point to another; and one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide devices by which one or more cars may be checked at the head or upper end of an inclined way and by which also the said car or cars may be readily released and caused to descend the Way with the exercise of little power or strength on the part of the operator.

A further object is to provide devices for the purposes named which are thoroughly effective and reliable in use, besides being simple in construction and organization and comprisingcomparatively few parts not easily broken and not liable to get out of order.

A still further object of the invention is to provide devices of the character referred to which are exceedingly strong and durable, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, besides being easily controlled and manipulated and possessing the capacity for long and repeated service.

The above and additional objects are attained by means substantially such as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

vFigure lis a side elevation of a part of an inclined Way having my improved rail devices embodied in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a top plan View; and Fig. 3 is a perspective View in detail, showing one of the Vverticallymovable rail-sections and part of one of the fish-plates between which said section works.

Before proceeding with a more detailed description it may be stated that in the form of my improvements herein shown I preferably employ an inclined way provided with one or more sets of duplicate rails, down each of which sets one or more cars may descend by gravity, and at the upperpart of said WayI employ for each set of rails duplicate verticallymovable sections which are normally out of alinement with the main rails and occupy an elevated position with respect to the latter, thus presenting the free ends thereof as checks for the foremost wheels of a car, which in turn may be but the foremost one of a train of cars employed for hauling coal or other material down the way by gravity. Said movable railsections are provided with means whereby they may be operated to be depressed or carried into practical aliuement with the main rails,the weight of the car or cars passing thereover serving to hold said sections down until allthe cars have passed, whereupon said movable rail-sections are caused to be automatically restored to the original or elevated position thereof. l provide suitable means for guiding the movable railsections in their movements, as well also as means for relieving the said sections and their guides and pivotal supports from all strain imposed thereon by the weight of the car or cars, and While I have herein represented my improvements in a certain preferred embodiment it will be understood, of course, that l am not limited to the precise details thereof in practice, since immaterial changes therein may be resorted to coming within the scope of my invention.

Specific reference being had to the accompanying drawings by the designating characters marked thereon, l represents suitable supports for strips 2, upon which may be laid the cross-ties 3 for parallel rails 4, forming oneterminus of practically a horizontal section of railway upon which travel the wheels 5 of an ordinary running car 6 or other similar vehicle for containing a load of ore or other material to be transported, said car having means 7 at the rear thereof to which another car may be connected, and so on until a whole train of such cars may be made up, as is apparent. At a suitable distance beyond the ends of said rails 4 is located the upper terminus of a way comprising dupli- IOO cate downwardly-inclined rails 8, which may be-secured to cross-ties 9, similarly fastened to strips 10, suitably supported at 11, the| other terminus of said inclined way being supposed to lead to the place to which the cars are to travel by gravity with their loads. Connecting the ends of each of the said inclined rails 8 with the end of the corresponding rail of said horizontal way are duplicate fish-plates 12, occupying planes on either side of the rails of either set, said fish-plates being secured to each of said rails, preferably bymeansof duplicate bolts 13,passingthrough the webs of the latter, and pivoted between the said fish-plates of each set by means of a bolt 14, passing through the web of the end portion of the inclined rail for such set, is they lower end of a vertically-movable rail-section 15, these two rail-sections being of length to practically unite the ends of said rails 4 with the ends of rails 8 when the said movable sections are lowered, as will be readily understood. Each set of fish-plates constitutes a guide for one of the movable railsections, as will presently appear, and in order to'relieve both said sections as Well as said fish-plates and the pivotal supports 14 from all strain imposed thereon by the weight of the cars passing over the sections I preferably provide the latter on the under side thereof with vertical webs 16,the lower edges of which come into contact with and bear upon the upper surface of. a cross-beam 17, suitably supported beneath the movable sections 15 near their free ends, said beams serving to support said sections when they are brought to operative position, as 4is apparent. The said webs 16 are each of gradually-increasing height in direction of the free ends thereof,l

as shown, and connected to these webs near such free ends, and preferably near the lower edges thereof,as shown at 18,are suitablelinks 19, which in turn are connected at 2O with arms 2l, which are fitted at one of their ends to the end,1 portions of a rock-shaft 22, supported in suitable bearings 23, said arms rocking with said shaft, and the latter being also provided on one end thereof with an upwardlyextending lever 24, having connected to its upper part one end of a cord or chain 25, the other end of which is connected to a handlever 26, located at any desired place for manipulation by the operator and suitably fulcrumed or pivoted at 27. The lever 24 is provided with a weight (or spring) 2S, which normally maintains the several operative elements or parts in the positions indicated in full lines, Fig. 1, and inasmuch as the said vertically-movable rail-sections 15 are at this time elevated above the adjacent ends of the rails 4 it follows that the ends of these portions serve as a chock to the foremost wheels of the foremost car of a train of cars until such time as it may be desired to operate the hand-lever 24 to rock the shaft 22, and thereby lower the said movable rail-sections to alinement with the rails 8, whereupon by the way by gravity, as will be understood,

and as soon as vthe car or cars have passed over the said movable sections 15 the weight 28 operates to restore all the parts to their original positions. It is apparent that I may extend the length of rock-shaft and by simply multiplying the devices herein referred to simultaneously operate a plurality of similar track devices in like manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In track devices for inclined ways, the combination with adjacent termini of substantially horizontal stationary rails, and inclined stationary rails, respectively, of intermediate rail-sections vertically movable at one of their ends, and means normally maintaining such ends in elevated position relatively to the ends of said rst-named rails.

2. In track devices for inclined ways, the combination with adjacent termini of substantially horizontal stationary rails and inclined stationary rails, respectively, of intermediate rail-sections vertically movable at one of their ends, means normally maintaining such ends in elevated position relatively to`the ends of said first-named rails, said sections each being provided on its under side with a web of gradually-increasing height in one direction, and guides for said webs.

3. In track devices for inclined ways, the combination with adjacent termini of substantially horizontal stationary rails, and inclined stationary rails, respectively, of intermediate rail-sections vertically movable at one of their ends, means normally maintaining such ends in elevated position relatively to the ends of the first-named rails, and means for operating said sections to connect the ends of the horizontal rails with the lends of said inclined rails.

4. In track devices for inclined ways, the combination with adjacent termini of substantially horizoontal stationary rails and inclined stationary rails, respectively, of intermediate rail-sections vertically movable at one ot' their ends, means normally maintaining such ends in elevated position relatively to the ends of the first-named rails, said sections each being provided on its under side with a web of gradually-increasing height in one direction, guides for said webs, and means for operating said sections to connect the ends of the horizontal rails with the ends of said inclined rails.

5. In track devices for inclined ways, the combination with adjacent termini of substantially horizontal stationary rails and inclined stationary rails, respectively, of intermediate rail-sections vertically movable at one of their ends, means normally maintaining such ends in elevated position relatively to the ends 'of the first-named rails, said sections each being provided on its under side with a web of gradually-increasing height in.

IOO

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one direction, guides for said Webs, and

means for supporting said Webs in the 10W-` connecting said arms with the wider portions of said Webs, a Weight on the lever normally maintaining the free ends of said rail-sections in elevated positions relatively to the ends of the rails irst named, an operatinglever, and a connection between the'latter an the other lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

`ALBERT H. MCCLURE.

Witnesses:

RoBT. NELSON, EARL E. MASON. 

